Official Weigh In:

320 Lbs

35.4 % Body Fat

My meals for the day.

As per my earlier prediction this week, I knew that it would be a small number drop week.  I am beginning to believe that rapid weight loss comes in cycles.  I’ve had two big drops in a row, and in the third week only a 1 lb drop.  In a week were I achieved many significant milestones, as disappointed as I am, I’m not upset.   It’s almost as if my body needs these moments of plateau, so it can achieve balance within itself.

I'm going to take pictures of myself more regularly to chronicle the changes.  This is the first three photos for this new section.  Beware, if you are eating a meal you may get sick.

This is the second time I’ve reached such a juncture, and both times in this pivotal week I find that people recognize the changes in my body, this maybe circumstantial but in the past two instances it seems to be the week that acquaintances always make a positive comment.  These changes may not manifest themselves on the scale, but I feel my clothes looser, and my belt getting tighter.  In a human body which is always trying to achieve a state of equilibrium, and balance I think it logical to believe the body needs time to adjust. 

I purged a different area of my life this week.  I cleared out my kitchen cabinets, and medicine cabinet.  All traces of chips, crackers, instant meals, diet shakes, diet pills, and fat burners have all been thrown out, quick fixes which I no longer subscribe to; composed of shit I no longer wish to enter my body. 

In this week I started my second go around of reading “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes.  I think Taubes makes some great arguments about the true nature of weight loss, but is too dismissive about the calories in versus calories out argument on weight loss.  Ultimately he believes that this logic skews the actual reasons we get fat.

In proving his arguments he discusses the role the hormone insulin plays in fat storage.  First the human body is designed to use fat as an energy source, our endocrine and digestive systems use fat deposits like a wallet constantly taking money out and putting it back in when needed.  The only time our bodies don’t use the fat is when are insulin levels are high, in which case the body burns the excess carbohydrates (sugars) from the system first, but with the types of diets we eat today which are primarily based on carbohydrate rich meals, then our insulin levels always stay elevated, never giving our bodies a chance to utilize the fats the way they were intended.  The body never gets to the fats because the high levels of sugars in the blood stream.  The vicious cycle begins when the high insulin levels creates a situation where your body becomes insulin resistant and begins to store more fat in our fat cells and because now they no longer get an opportunity to use them we put on weight, the high levels of insulin also make us crave more carbohydrate intensive foods.  Further he believes that we don’t get fat by overeating, but because we get fat we have to overeat to compensate for the greater mass we carry.  I’ve over simplified his explanation, but Taubes provides a compelling argument for shifting one’s paradigm about nutrition.

Taubes prescribes a diet which is high in proteins, and low insulin producing carbohydrates like leafy greens.  It’s an interesting take on nutrition, as I progress in my weight loss I am beginning to formulate my own dietary plan which is more conducive to intense workouts and keepings a lower caloric intake.  I would eventually like to get away from calorie counting all together. 

This evening I got a deep tissue massage at a place near my home called the Teal Center.  I don’t remember half of it because I started snoring half way through it.  The woman who performed the massage was very petite, and I initially thought her touch was too soft.  When the massage was complete I felt surprisingly loose, I won’t truly know whether or not her work was effective until tomorrow’s first cardio session. 

Having been only my 5^th massage in my life, I’m still trying to figure out what is most effective.  The sessions with Bao are just too painful, it takes me a day and half to recover, but when I do recover I’m on top of my game, but is that how you are supposed to feel?  There has to be some happy medium, where I can get the bad stuff out of my body without being punctured with knuckles and fingers.

This week I’ll be very busy with the uncooperative patients outpatient physical therapy, and my role as therapist, so I’m going to have to be extra vigilant to stay on a workout schedule.

My plan is as follows:

As my 6^th week of being home is about to begin, I realize some plan has to be set forward which includes more rest.  My body can’t handle too much more of this, but my fear prevents me from slowing down.  The changes I see in my face and the physical progress in my strength prevent me from slowing down.  An internal drive which tells me not just yet, prevents me from slowing down. 

“…suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of sacrifice.” – Viktor Frankl